Mindfulness Leads to Success & Happiness in School

Massachusetts Schools Administrators' Association Blog

Andrea McGrath, Principal, Lauren Badolato, School Adjustment Counselor & William Foss, School Adjustment Counselor, The John R. Briggs School, Ashburnham

The John R. Briggs School in Ashburnham has always looked at the “whole student” and how the staff can support their students’ social, emotional, behavioral and academic growth.  It is the only elementary school in Ashburnham but it is a part of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School district.  Several district-wide programs that specifically target students’ emotional, mental health and behavioral needs are housed at the Briggs School.  Some of these students face daily challenges that contribute to a high level of stress, anxiety and/or anger management issues so the school adjustment counselors, Lauren Badolato and Bill Foss, focused on addressing these issues to allow these students more success and happiness at school.

Ms. Badolato and Mr. Foss saw increasing levels of stress among students and teachers, focus and attention issues, and emotional…

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Jon Pelto: Common Core Test Designed to Fail Most Students

Common Core tests are so difficult, as a teacher I try to take the test with my students… Some questions are impossible to answer.

Diane Ravitch's blog

Jonathan Pelto reports that 70% of students will fail the Common Core test called Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC); the tests were designed to “fail” 70% of students, as is the PARCC test. Both Common Core tests are aligned with the “cut scores” (passing marks) of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP “proficient” is set very high; Massachusetts is the only state where 50% of students rate proficient on NAEP.

Pelto points out that 90% of students with special needs are expected to fail SBAC.

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